Tijuana to stage arts festival this weekend

A new arts festival called “Tijuana en Revolución, Festival Multiarte” will feature more than 70 artists and groups this weekend on the city's main tourist thoroughfare.

The festival will present dance, music, poetry, visual arts and other media in abandoned storefronts and empty commercial alleys.

The event was organized by the arts collective Queremos Tijuana (We Love Tijuana) and supported by business, civic and government agencies.

Historically, avenida Revolución has been the city's tourist destination. In recent years, a combination of the U.S. recession, a spike in deadly crime related to drug trafficking and new passport requirements have kept tourists away and hammered businesses that depend on them.

“About 70 percent of businesses have closed,” said Max Mejía, festival coordinator. “This event invites people to rediscover the avenida and take advantage of lost spaces.”

The festival will be held on avenida Revolución, between Third and Sixth streets. That stretch of avenue will be closed motor vehicles to accommodate performances.

The festival runs from 6 to 10 tonight, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.

More information is available from Margarita González at (011 521 664) 111-9649.